NCAA Tournament 2010: Ready To Count Out Marquette? Think Again

The Marquette Golden Eagles saw their Big East Tournament run come to a swift end on Friday night with a 23-point loss to Georgetown.

Center Greg Monroe had a big game as the Hoyas pulled away from Marquette in the second half. Playing in their third game in as many nights, Marquette looked increasingly tired and overmatched against Georgetown as the game progressed.

Marquette has secured its spot into the NCAA tournament, but the Eagles will face questions all week about their lack of size and depth and their inability to match up with bigger and stronger teams like Georgetown.

It won't be the first time Marquette has had to face its own limitations.

Marquette in for a long year, picked 12th in 2010 Preseason Big East poll.

In 2009, Marquette was led by the trio of Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Jerel McNeal, three of the most celebrated players in Marquette history. The three seniors combined to average over 49 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists per game as the Golden Eagles advanced to their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament.

Last year, Marquette was noted for its ability to win despite lacking depth. Who would be able to replace the departing seniors?

Seniors Maurice Acker and David Cubillan, along with sophomore Darius Johnson-Odom, have stepped up their game and taken on an active role in the Marquette offense this season.

Of the three, only Johnson-Odom has averaged in double figures in points this season. But the 5'8" Acker runs the show and has a nice three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. And Cubillan does all the little things you would expect from a senior leader.

The re-tooled Golden Eagles and their six-man rotation beat Michigan and Xavier at the Old Spice Classic in November.

Tough losses, 2-5 Big East start spell trouble for Marquette's season.

Senior Lazar Hayward and junior Jimmy Butler are Marquette's two biggest players and serve as the team's inside presence.

Both are 6'6".

Hayward is the team's leading scorer and rebounder at 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Butler is second in both categories at 14.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Not only does Hayward carry the load on the offensive end, but he almost always defends the opposing team's biggest player. In the rugged Big East, that player is usually a few inches taller and a few pounds heavier than Hayward. If there is one matchup that summarizes the uphill battle that Marquette faces night-in and night-out, it's the one to be found in the paint.

Bigger than Marquette. Stronger than Marquette. But not always better than Marquette.

The under-sized Golden Eagles won nine of their last 11 games to finish the regular season.

Marquette fortunate to be on bubble after so many close wins.

When Buzz Williams became the head coach of Marquette after Tom Crean left for Indiana, not many casual basketball fans knew who he was. After all, he had only been a head coach in Division I basketball for one season at New Orleans, and led the team to a 14-17 record.

In two years under Williams, Marquette has shown an uncanny ability to play in—and win—close games. A staggering 14 games this season have been decided by four points or less. What's the secret to surviving all these close encounters?

According to Cubillan, "We have to win games like this because we are not the most talented team in the country. We have to fight you to the death."

The scrappy Golden Eagles won two games in the Big East Tournament, both by less than four points.

Marquette was exposed by Georgetown, can't make a tournament run.

Don't tell the Marquette players they can't do something.

They'll probably just do it anyway.